Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts
by leshipper
Summary: '"James isn't her true love, okay?" Red snaps, her face hardening at his mere name. "Then who is?" He blinks back at the sudden reaction from the normally calm and controlled woman.' Red Snow. Mentions of Swan Queen and Captain Charming. Disclaimer is on profile. Rated T for language.


"_I wish to know the amount of booze I could drink, just to forget your name."_

Red sighs, staring at the beer in her hands.

"You alright there, sister?" Grumpy slids next to her and glances at the empty glass in her hands.

"Nope." She answers.

_Drunk words are sober thoughts indeed._ The man thinks.

"What's wrong?"

She sighs again, looking at the dwarf with a saddeness in her eyes no amount of effort can hide.

"Snow."

Grumpy's fairly certain what she means by the simple word. He caught the looks the werewolf gave his friend from day one. But, nevertheless, he drawls out a single demand.

"Elaborate."

"James isn't her true love, okay?" Red snaps, her face hardening at his mere name.

"Then who is?" He blinks back at the sudden reaction from the normally calm and controlled woman.

"Me!" She stands up, the table tumbles forward and falls, the patrons at the barely lit bar stop chattering and silently stare at her and she drops the empty beer, letting it fall with a thud as glass shatters around her.

"Red, you're drunk." Grumpy stands up as well, grabbing her arm but she pulls it back.

"I'm still right! It fucking sucks but I'm still right! I fucking love her, dammit!" She laughs bitterly, wiping away the tears she hadn't realized were falling.

"Red, let's go back to the castle." He tries again, this time putting his hands up between them in an attempt to calm her.

"So I can listen to my best friend talk about how _charming_ that asshole she's marrying is when I'm in love with her?!" The brunette yells in his face, eyes shining with more unshed tears. "No fucking thanks!"

Grumpy looks around the bar and spots one of the guards. He mouths to the man to go get Snow and turns back to the werewolf.

"Alright, sister. We'll stay here. You want another one?" He points to the glasses on the floor and she nods, calming down enough to let the dwarf lead her to another table and sit her down.

Before he can ask, a beer is placed in front of Red and she drinks it's remains practically in one gulp.

"So, why haven't you told Snow how you feel?" He drawls out slowly, unconsciouly sliding away from her.

"I was going to." She sighs. "The day she met him I had promised myself that when she came back, I'd tell her but she couldn't stop talking about him so I figured there was no point in that."

"How do you know that she wouldn't feel the same way about you?"

The brunette shakes her head and laughs bitterly again.

"Yeah, right. Like Snow would take me instead of him. I'm a fucking werewolf, Grumpy. She saw what I did."

"And she's still you're friend." The man interrupts her self-pity party to point out what is quite obvious.

"_Friend_. That's it. That's what she is. That's not what I fucking want. I want her to love me the same way I love her. With everything she is, because fucking shit, that's how I love her."

"Red?" Snow slowly walks closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Honey?"

The other woman shakes her head, laughing like a maniac.

"Of course you'd hear that. My life's just getting better."

"Red." The queen repeats more firmly, turning the werewolf's head by the chin so she can see her. "Come back to the castle with me." She pleads, her soft eyes staring at wide ones. "Please, Red."

"Why? So you can go back to him without a guilty mind?"

"Red-"

"Don't. Just don't, Snow. What's the fucking point in lying to me?" She looks down and sighs but doesn't pull away from the queen.

"Red, please come back so we can talk more privately."

"You're going to say you love him. Talk over. Nice chatting with you." The brunette spits out the words and turns back to the beer, drinking the rest.

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah, okay. I absolutely believe you." Red replies sarcastically.

"Red-"

"Don't." She repeats firmly, looking back at green eyes with determination. "Don't you fucking say something that will bring me hope just to tear it away when I hear you say 'I do'. That is definitely not what I wish for you to do."

Grumpy figures he might as well ask because Snow is pretty damn close to tears and Red isn't looking any better.

"Then what do you wish for?"

The werewolf doesn't look away from the queen, directing her answer to her.

"I wish to know the amount of booze I could drink, just to forget your name. So far, no good."

"Red-"

"Stop it!" She stands up , interrupting her yet again but being careful not to touch Snow. "Fucking stop it! Stop looking at me with that pity, stop acting like you're doing me a favor by being here. Stop!" Red cries freely now, no longer caring about the people at the bar that will for sure spread word that the fearless werewolf that is supposed to protect their queen has tears running down her face like a child who hurt themselves whilst playing.

"I'm not doing that!" Snow snaps back, no longer being gentle and grasping the woman's arms, pulling her closer and forcing her to look at her. "I'm not looking at you with pity and I'm certainly not here because I'm doing you a favor, Red. Can you not see that? It's not pity, you idiot!"

"Then what the fuck is it?!" Red pulls her arms back but stands closer, entering the brunette's personal space.

"It's love! It's love and guilt because it's my fault you're feeling like this. I'm not doing you a favor, I'm trying to help the love of my life."

"What?" She blinks a couple of times, her hardening face quickly turning softer.

"Let's go back to the castle, Red." She pleads, reaching forward and grabbing the werewolf's hand.

"Okay." Red quickly agrees, following Snow outside the bar.

Grumpy runs a hand over his face and turns to adress everyone there.

"If this conversation leaves anynoe's mouth you'll learn what it's like to be cut to pieces by a dwarf's axe."

He follows the women outside to find they had been walking slowy and he catches up to them, making sure to stay further back.

"I'm not in love with James."

Grumpy notices how Red's spine straightens at his name. Snow must have noticed as well.

"I'm not in love with him. And he's not in love with me. We need to marry so there is no war. Ever since Regina found her happiness with that girl, Emma, that there has been tension, fear that she will return to try and get the throne and people worry that by myself I will not be able to defend the kindgom. This is a marriege out of necessity, not out of love, Red. If I was to marry out of love it certainly wouldn't be with him, I give you my word. I do not love him."

Grumpy feels a bit bad for eavesdropping on such a private conversation but who knows how a drunk Red will react to those news? He needs to be there to ease the blow if it comes.

Red stops walking and turns to her. Snow and Grumpy stop as well and wait, Snow with batted breath and Grumpy with awareness for her response.

"If you were to marry out of love, who would it be with?" Although the queen openly admited her feelings in front of roughly thirthy people, Red is still weary and the dwarf cannot blame her, she does not know what he does, she does not know if Snow's words were simply a peaceful way to get her out of the bar.

Grumpy knows better.

"With you." Two words turned the angry and heart-broken woman they both saw not minutes ago turn to a blissful and pleasantly surprised one.

"Prove it." Two words that turned the hopeful and slightly scared queen to a confused one.

"How?"

"If you are to marry to show the people there is no need to worry, that the kindgom is same – although I do not believe for a second Regina will try to take it back now she found love – than marry out of love. Certainly a werewolf will be much better at proving they are safe than a sheperd."

"Red, are you- are you proposing?" This is the first time Grumpy has witnessed Snow stutter and if the situation was not such an important one, he would definitely laugh at her expression.

"Yes. Marry me. I love you. You said if you could marry out of love, you'd marry me. Well, here's your chance. Marry me. It will ease people's mind as well."

"Okay." Snow reaches forward and sneaks her arms around the brunette's neck. "But you are not telling him. I will not give you that satisfaction after the little drunk stunt you pulled. He has been nothing short of kind about this whole arrengement. Understood?"

"Understood." Red grins and wraps her arms around Snow, pulling her closer and leaing their foreheads together.

Grumpy feels like he might be witness to their first of certainly many kisses so he makes his presence known.

"Hey, sister, who is he in love with?"

Both women turn to him but do not pull apart.

"Some captain. Jones, I believe."

"Hook?" He rubs at his chin. "The man puts up a fight with his rum, I'll tell that much. He'll do good for the sheperd."

"That's great." Red tries to sound sincere but it comes out quite sarcastically. "How about you go find him and see if he has any of that rum, uh, Grumpy?"

The man salutes and turns around.

"Have fun, sister!"

He doesn't dare to look back but by the sounds coming from behind him, he's certain the first of many kisses has just occured.

He's also certain they are following his advice to have fun.


End file.
